Expansible well-casing.



R. E LEONARD.

EXPANSIBLE WELL CASING.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1. I9I6.

1,30 1 ,285 Patented Apr. 22, I919.

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01 L08 ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HALF TO FRANK W. A. FIHLEY, F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

i Specification of Letters Patent.

EXIANSIIBLE WELL-CASING.

Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

Application fled September 1, 1910. Serial No. 118,120.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that citizen of the United F well casing or tubing used in strengthening or reinforcing or sealing ofi the inner walls of well holes as the same are produced, and particularly in the production of deep water and oil well holes. In Patent No. 1,233,888 which was granted to me on July 17, 1917, I have described and disclosed and claimed a method of utilizing such novel casing, or of easing off well holes in a novel method capable of utilizing such casing as that which constitutes the subject of the present invention.

In accordance with neral ractice, casing is introduced into 011 wells, in connection with the use of the standard or reciprocating t e of well drilling tools or standard or reciprocating method of drilling, in a continuous string of jointed sections which is increased in length as the drilling continues. In the rotary method of drilling the gotary tool or hit is supported and operated -y to seal ofi the well and prevent collapsion, etc. At times, in connection with rotary drilling. separate lengths of easing are introduced to case 0E the well at specific zones to prevent cave-in or invasion by undesiredliquids or In using both of these methods of (hi ling it is however necessary to pull all the casing above a given section from the hole in order to withdraw that section. and it is likewise necessa to introduce the casing to a. given leve in the hole by means of a continuous string of joints or sections extending downwardly to that level. In accordance with the invention set forth in said companion application filed herewith the casing is merely applied at the zones of the hole at which it is desired or necessary to employ the same. Likewise, in usin the reciprocating type of drilling, an un erreamer is usually employed to enlarge the hole beneath the cas mg as it is lowered. In accordance with the present invention the use of an underreamer is dispensed with in that the casing is intro- The present invention a string of easing which in itself serves duced therein for passage duced within the hole in relatively eontracted form and expanded within the hole at the zone where it is to be employed.

has for its object the provision of improved tubing or casing for use in well holes, which, having in mind the above advantages of the use and appli' cation of the same, shall likewise and furthermore be superior in point of relative simplicity and inexpensiveness of construction and organization. taken in connection with durability, facility in applying and handling, positiveness in action, and general eiiiciency.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel and useful provision formation, construction. adaptability to varying and desired use and utilization and association and inter-relation of parts and members and features, all as hereinafter described, shown in the drawing and finally pointed out in the claims.

Inthe drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side view of alength of easing or tubing formed and organized to embody the invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modified form of construction;

Fig. 3 is an end view of two joints or sections of tubing or casing such as shown in Fig. 2, one of the same having been expanded into working form or condition, and the other of the same being shown as introtherethrough into position to be so expanded;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken centrally through the constrnuption shown in Fig. 3;

1g. further modified formof construction;

Fig. 6 is a fra entary side view of a still further modi ed=form of construction.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are designated by the same reference characters.

Referring with particularity to the drawing, the improved casing or tubing is shown as comprising a body A initially formed with more material than is required for its extreme outside diameter, and capable of being expanded to produce a greater outside diameter; Specifically, although the invention is not to be understood as so limited thereto, the bod A is shown as longitudinally corrugat as at a, so that when it is may assume an approximately expanded 1t true circular form as shown in the exterior 5 is a fragmentary side view of a portions of Figs. 3 and 4. Thus, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4:, the body A is of lesser outside dimension initially than after it has been put into place in the well hole and expanded. So, lengths of such pipe or casin may in the relatively contracted ini tial orm be passed down through other lengths or joints of pipe which have been expanded, and after being lowered to the zone of the well hole which it is desired to case off, mav be expanded so that the outside diameter thereof is as great as, or even greater than, the diameter of the earlier introduced and expanded casing. This ermits casing to be introduced and locater in isolated positions wherever it is desired to case off the hole, to strengthen or reinforce the walls of the hole or shut off gas or liquid. As the casing is never lowered in its final dimensions, no underreamer is required beneath the casing. When the casing is expanded into position of service, it is forced into the formation of the hole which is compressed and enlarged in bore, to accommodate the casing, and theinternal diameter of the casing so positioned is sufficient and proper to permit the string of tools to be lowered through the same to further develop or finish the hole. Thus a great saving in the amount of casin is produced, and any given len h of easing can be withdrawn without dlsturbin the remaining portions of the casing. T e casing is expanded in any suitable manner, as by a swage or the like, lowered in the hole and brought with its tapering point into the upper end of the casing section and passed on through the section to expand the same. b in Figs. :2, 3 and 4 designates a plastic or yielding packing ring placed upon the casing body A to surround the same, at either one or both ends so that when the casing is in position it effectively cases off the zone of the well to which it is ap lied, and prevents the invasion of the wel hole by liquid or gas encountered in that zone. Such packing device may be of any suitable metal or composition or other material. a in Fig. 5 designates inter-locking means, and is shown as comprisin a lurality of separate fin ers produced s itting the lower end of t e casing section ody as at 7, and then bending out the intervening portions to produce such fingers, which are driven into the walls of the hole as the swage or expanding means acts, preventing the carrying on down of the casing beyond the zone 1n which it is to be disposed. Similarly, in Fig. 6, d designates a bottom shoe or stop means having the same function as the inter-locking means 0 and consisting of 9. ca connected with the lower end of the casing body, as by inter-engaging ribs or grooves or projections and notches 8, dispose interiorly of the casing section. As the casing is expanded this cap is forced at its ed es into the formation of the well hole wal and its central portion may be perforated or broken down by the swage or other tools used in the hole, so as to make way for the descent thereof past the joint or section provided with such cap.

It will be understood that broadly considered the invention does not involve necessarily the provision of the casing section body A with the lengthwise corrugation a, but that the invention contemplates the provision of a relatively contracted casing or tubing joint or section which is so formed that it may be expanded to increase the outside diameter thereof. It is likewise manifest that many changes and modifications may be made with respect to the construction, formation, inter-relation and combination and association of features and parts, in variation from the foregoing description and the disclosure of the drawing, without departing from the true spirit of the invention.

Having thus disclosed m invention, I claim and desire to secure by etters Patent:

1. An expansible well casingincluding a one-piece tubular secton having peripheral walls which are continuous and imperforate from end to end, said wails being initially formed with an excess of metal to give the tubular section a relatively small diameter so that it can be readily lowered into position in the well opening, after which it is adapted to be expanded into a firm and permanent engagement with the walls of the well opening, said casing being sufliciently strong to withstand the pressure.

2. An expansible well casing including a one-piece tubular section having peripheral walls which are continuous and imperforate from end to end, said walls being initially formed with an excess of metal to ivethe tubular section a relatively small diameter so that it can be readily lowered into position in a Well opening, and an expansible packing rin surrounding the tubular sec tion, said to ular section and packing, ring being adapted to be expanded into a and permanent engagement with the walls of the well opening after being lowered into the desired position, and being sufliciently strong to withstand the pressure.

3. An expansible well casing including a one-piece tubular section having peripheral walls which are continuous and lmperforate from end to end, said walls being initially formed with an excess of metal to 've the tubular section a relatively small iameter so that it can be readily lowered into position in the well opening, after which it is adapted to be expanded into a firm and permanent engagement with the walls of the well opening, one end of the section bein formed with a series of flexible fin ers whic are bent outwardly and embed ed in the walls of the well opening when the casing section is expanded, said casing section being sufiiciently strong to withstand the pressure.

4. An expansible well easing including a one-piece tubular section having peripheral walls which are continuous and imperforate from end to end, said walls being initially formed with longitudinal corrugations to give the tubular section a relativel small diameter so that it can be readily lowered into position in the well opening, after which it is adapted to be expanded into a firm and permanent engagement with the walls of the well opening, said casing being sufii- 15 ciently strong to withstand the pressure.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROY E. LEONARD. \Vitnesses ALFRED H. DAEHLER, L. S. ARNOLD. 

